


Aureus

by heffalumps



Category: Elder Scrolls, Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-02-10
Updated: 2013-02-10
Packaged: 2017-11-28 20:03:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/678377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heffalumps/pseuds/heffalumps
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A failed assassin gets a second chance. A different take on the TES IV: Oblivion main quest.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Thud. Incompetent. Thud. Failure. Thud. So, so, so stupid. Thud, thud, thud. At this point my forehead was slowly beginning to develop bruises strongly reminiscent of those on badly abused apples, but I continued ramming my head into the stone wall of the cell anyway. Talos knows I deserved some form of punishment for being such a complete idiot. It’s not like there was anything else to do here, unless you count talking to the annoying, pissed-off dark elf imprisoned on the other side of the corridor or trying to swallow the hard-baked cake of clay they called “bread” here.  
  
Ow. My bruises were definitely making their existence known. Eyes swimming with a haze of unshed tears, I decided to end this seemingly relentless quest of bashing down the walls of the Imperial City Prison using only the brute force of my forehead. “You’re never getting out of here, you know.” My loveable dark elf friend appeared to be even less loveable than usual today.  
  
“Piss off.” After that oh-so-witty comeback I felt disinclined to continue the conversation any further and moved to the very back of my cell to cut off the line of sight between us. Whiny Whinerson, whose real name was still a mystery to me, shut up immediately. Ah, much better. Lately, I’d come to notice that giving yourself a mental bashing is much, much easier without any distractions. Unluckily for me, distractions seemed to be out to find me today.  
  
“What’s this prisoner doing here? This cell is supposed to be off limits!” Annoying and prissy were the first two words I would’ve used if someone had asked me right then and there to describe the female voice I heard. As it was, I was just “this prisoner”. No one cared what words I would assign and to what duties. A shame, really, as I can be surprisingly literate at times. Apparently this literate phenomenon was about to be busted right out of here.  
  
“Looks like it’s your lucky day. Just stay outta our way, she-Bosmer.” The speaker was one of the two guards who had entered my cell. Not the woman with the prissy, annoying voice, but a tall, dark man. My lucky day indeed – more guards! Yay! With only the slightest hint of a grimace on my face, I backed away. Just in case the guards decided it wasn’t my lucky day after all, it’d probably be best to do as advised and stay far back. They were the ones holding the swords, and I’d never been very proficient at hand-to-hand combat.  
  
“Sire, we have to get out of here. This way.” The woman placed her hand on a rock on the opposite side of my cell, muttered a word… And low and behold, with a strenuous groan, the stone wall sunk down to reveal a secret passageway. I hadn’t immediately realized (or even cared) who she was referring to as “sire”, but as the guards slid back from the entrance to the tunnel it came to my attention that there weren’t only three of us in the cell. Points to me for paying attention. I’d like to think I’m much more observant normally, but secret passageways and annoying guards tend to detract attention from other miniscule details in the surroundings.  
  
“Wait… I know this one.” Huh? The fourth occupant in my cell pointed at me and moved closer, the strangest expression on his face. “I’ve seen you. You’re the one from my dreams.” Say what now? He must have noticed my slightly alarmed and more than slightly disbelieving expression, because he smiled. Very condescendingly, I might add. “I am your Emperor, Uriel Septim. I have the gift of foresight.”  
  
Riiight. “Sure you are.” He appeared to not even notice I had spoken. How rude.  
  
“The stars have told me of our meeting. These signs show the end of my path, but you will prevail and be of great service to us yet.” He was serious. I’d never been very good with my people skills, but this guy wasn’t kidding; that much even I could tell. I opened my mouth to say something, but the Emperor moved away. “Follow.”  
  
One of his guards, the man, glanced at me and then back at the Emperor. “Sire, are you sure about this?” With the air of a man used to his every whim being catered, Uriel Septim glanced at his guard meaningfully. “Of course, sire. Whatever you wish.” A hurried bow followed the guard’s quick retraction of his earlier words. He was still more than a little confused, but not stupid enough to go against his employer’s wishes. I thought it a wise choice, considering his employer was only the most powerful man in all of Tamriel.  
  
I wasn’t stupid either. The Emperor said to follow, so I followed, with just a few hesitant glances at His Majesty’s bodyguards. Both were staring at their liege in disbelief, but had apparently decided to let the matter go. They were probably calculating their odds of defeating me if I turned out to be dangerous, and I’d be the first one to admit the odds were very much tipped in their favor, what with them being decked out in heavy armor and me in my fashionably tattered prison clothes.  
  
The tunnel was a long one. The Emperor and his guards kept whispering amongst themselves, but of course I wasn’t invited to join in on their conversations. Slowly the earthen tunnel transformed around us into a rocky, barren cave-like corridor. As fun as studying the shapes and sizes of different-hued rocks is, I was glad when the corridor finally ended and we found ourselves in the midst of an old Ayleid ruin. I’d always been a little bit of an archeological enthusiast, so I by and large preferred Ayleid ruins to musty rock-walled caves. Just when I was starting to get comfortable, I heard the sound of a blade being unsheathed behind me. More out of reflex than any actual desire to warn the others, I cried out: “Wait! Behind us!” Then, being the hero I am, I dodged behind the nearest pillar. This wasn’t my battle.  
  
“For the Empire!” “For Uriel Septim!” Guards have _got_ to come up with better battle calls. I made a mental note to roll my eyes at their stupidity later as the last clash of sword against sword sounded once, then twice, and silence fell in the ruin. I peeked out from behind my pillar, hoping that it was my guys who were still standing and not the attackers. Yup, I was in luck. The male guard was helping the Emperor get back up on his feet. He’d been knocked down by one of the numerous mages now sprawled dead all over the floor of the ruin. “Where’s Captain Renault?” Oh that’s right, I’d thought something was missing! No squeaky, annoying voice was giving a speech on her latest achievements in battle. “I’m sorry sir, but she has fallen.” The leftover guard gestured in my direction, and I looked down to see a familiar face just inches from my left shoe. Well, would you look at that? Not really a stranger to blood and gore, I just shook my head and hopped out from behind my pillar.  
  
The male guard smirked when he saw me re-emerge. “Did the action get a bit scary for you, or did you just happen to see something very interesting behind there?”  
  
Oh, a wise guy, huh? “Nope, but I figured I wouldn’t get myself killed and deprive you of my company just yet.”  
  
An angelic smile from yours truly had the guard rolling his eyes as he turned to the Emperor. “Sire, we must keep moving.”  
  
“Yes, I suppose we must,” the Emperor sighed and turned to go. He was obviously loathe to leave his guard captain behind. I started to follow, but something bumped into my leg as I moved to take the first step. The fallen captain’s long sword was lying there next to her body. Glancing quickly in the direction of the rest of my party to make sure no one was watching, I reached down and picked up the blade. Not my weapon of choice, but I still preferred to be armed. Somehow I had the feeling we weren’t alone in these ruins.  
  


***

  
This was just my luck. I sighed and thumbed my newly acquired longbow’s string, which was too loose to actually do any good in a fight. That’s what you get for picking up second-hand weapons… Thankfully the problem seemed fixable, so I got to work devising some way to tighten the string without any tools.  
  
Thud. Thud. Thud. On the other side of the small room we were currently occupying, the male guard – called Baurus, as I had recently discovered – was apparently set on getting a severely bruised forehead to match mine. “Stop that, you’re only hurting yourself.” And annoying me, I added to myself. Had I said that out loud, however, he probably would have continued purely out of spite. As it was, the thudding stopped, and I was able to close my eyes and sigh once more before resuming my work on the bowstring.  
  
It was quiet for a while. Boring. “We’re never getting out of here.” Baurus flinched as I broke the silence. “The cave-in shut all the entrances to this corridor. You do realize we’re going to starve to death, right?” Our slowly impending doom had been hanging about over our heads for quite some time now, but neither of us had dared voice it yet.  
  
Baurus shook his head automatically. “No, we’re not. I’m sure His Majesty managed to get out all right, he’ll be along with help in just a day or so.”  
  
“Sure.”  
  
My disbelieving tone was enough to rile him up and set him off yelling. Again. “He is! His Majesty is just fine, he’ll be along in just a few moments to help us and we’re getting out of here. And the first thing I’m going to do once that happens is gut you like the dirty, undeserving swine you are –“  
  
“Baurus, shut up!”  
  
“- and then I’ll go home and –“  
  
“Shut up! I hear something!”  
  
“- and if worst comes to worst, I’ll eat you, and after that you won’t be here to annoy me anymore -“  
  
“Baurus, shut up and listen to me!” It was the first time since we’d been stuck here that I’d reacted in any way to him raising his voice at me, and he obeyed, looking a bit shocked. “Thank you.” I made a sour face in his general direction and pointed to the wall opposite me. “I hear something coming from over there.”  
  
The quiet thudding I had heard was slowly escalating in tempo and volume. No, it wasn’t thudding. It sounded like numerous small explosions. “Is someone blowing a hole in the wall?” Baurus sounded confused. As it happens, that had been exactly what I was about to say.  
  
“Sounds like it.” My observation was confirmed soon enough; little bits of rock were now breaking off from the wall and showering the floor in dust and debris.  
  
“Is it someone on our side or theirs?” Again, Baurus voiced my unspoken thought.  
  
“No idea.”  
  
“Should we yell?”  
  
“But what if it’s the assassins? They’ll know we’re here if we make any noise.”  
  
“I think they already do. Why else would they be willing to blow a hole in the wall to get in?”  
  
“But if it’s more of your guard lot, they’ll also already know we’re here. So let’s just shut up and wait.”  
  
Baurus nodded unwilling assent; my logic was sound enough. I finally managed to get a loop in the bowstring and slip it over the other end of the upper limb, rendering the bow almost useful. I grabbed the quiver of arrows I’d pilfered off an assassin archer whom we’d killed in the skirmish leading up to our imprisonment. Swinging the quiver onto my back, I snuck off to find some ledge to perch on. I ran my fingers through the arrows, counting under my breath. Thirty-three. Well, it was better than nothing, I supposed. I was much handier with a bow and arrow than with a sword, even if the bow was built for someone roughly twice my size and presented a sizeable challenge to even draw.  
  
Once I found a suitable hideaway in the wall to perch on, I hopped up on the base of a crumbled stone pillar and used that to step up into it. Perfect – I had a good view of the wall the detonations were raining down on. If our visitors were enemies, I’d have a clear shot at them as they came pouring in.  
  
Baurus was readying himself for a fight on the other side of the corridor. Sword in one hand and shield tightly secured in the other, he paced back and forth in front of the newcomers’ probable point of entry. I drew my bow a few times and released the string to make sure it wouldn’t snap and that my muscles were up to the task. Drawing it really was a challenge, as speculated. Nocking an arrow would be harder work than usual, but I was a good shot. Hopefully I could make each arrow count.  
  
Whoever was knocking down the wall was getting close. The sounds were so loud I had to resist the impulse to cover my ears, and the light showering of small rocks falling from the wall had turned into a steady downpour. “Baurus, I think they’re almost through.”  
  
“I know, I know,” Baurus snapped in reply. Jeez, someone was nervous. Through my overly sarcastic internal monologue, I had to admit I had little shivers of anticipation running down my spine, too.  
  
Suddenly, the explosions died down. Baurus and I glanced at each other in surprise. Wait, people weren’t coming through? Never mind, scratch that. With a noise like a charging mudcrab in heat, the wall exploded. Rubble flew in all directions, and I ducked deeper into my nook to avoid being hit. I glanced out of my hiding place only to be greeted by a wall of dust and the distinct sounds of battle. Apparently, our new acquaintances weren’t very friendly. Holding my breath so as not to cough, I silently nocked an arrow and half-drew my bow to prepare.  
  
As the dust slowly receded, my vision was restored and I saw Baurus single-handedly fighting off what seemed like tens of the same assassins we had encountered earlier. Automatically, I swung up my bow, took aim and released the first arrow. It flew with only a slight curve to the left and caught the assassin Baurus was currently sparring with in a crack between his pauldron and his cuirass. He went down, breath coming out in wheezing half-sobs as I renocked and let another arrow loose, this time correcting my aim to the right in an attempt to make up for the small flaw in the bow. By the time I had selected my third target, Baurus had deftly taken care of both of the ones I’d already shot. My third arrow missed and ricoched off a pillar as I loosed shots in the direction of my next chosen victim, finally busting his kneecap as he failed to dodge my last arrow. “Ezra! Get down!” Wait, what? “Get… Down!!” I ducked into my little hollow just in time to avoid the fireball that came flying at me, promptly destroying the wall between me and the newest addition to our quaint little get-together. It seemed that the enemy mage who had broken through the cavern wall and unleashed hordes of enemies upon us had recovered from his exertions enough to join our battle and had selected me as his prime target. Damn.  
  
My cover was quite literally blown. I jumped down from my perch and ducked behind the nearest pillar – just in time to get out of range of the powerful shock spell that whizzed past my head, singeing my hair as it went. No way in Oblivion was I going to let that one go; I really liked this haircut. I quickly nocked an arrow, drew my bow and aimed at the mage. He blocked the shot with a shield spell and proceeded to bombard my pillar with more elemental magic. With an ominous groan, the pillar gave way and crumbled into dust as I once again flung myself out of the way. With nowhere to run, offense is the best defense, even for the sneaky types such as myself. My next volley of arrows had my muscles aching in protest. Baurus was holding off the remaining assassins single-handedly, but he was beginning to tire. He needed help if we were going to get through this. The mage was also running out of energy, having used the majority of his resources blasting through my latest hide-out. One more well-aimed arrow broke through his shield spell and struck him square in the throat, leaving him to sink to the ground coughing up blood. Why don’t you try and Restore that, sucker!  
  
I even managed to grin at my own internal wittiness before reaching back to pull an arrow from my quiver – and stopping dead. I only had two arrows left. In the meantime, Baurus had whittled down the remainder of the assassins, but was locked in such a fierce struggle with the last of them that I had no hope of hitting him without Baurus getting in the way. “Baurus, I’m almost out of arrows!”  
  
Baurus grunted, “Shoot him! I can’t hold him much longer!”  
  
“I can’t, you’re too close!”  
  
“Just… do… it!” Baurus’ breathing was labored and his movements almost exaggeratedly slow. This last fight was definitely not looking good for our little troop. I nocked the arrow and drew my bow, considering my chances of shooting the assassin without nicking Baurus.  
  
“I can’t hit him without hitting you!”  
  
Baurus groaned in response, presumably too exhausted to speak. I slowly circled the pair, trying to get a clean shot as my tensed muscles screamed in protest. “Ezra, just DO IT!” Baurus’ desperate tone spurred me into action; I aimed as well as I could and released the bowstring… Only to hear an agonized yelp from Baurus, followed by the clattering of his sword on the stone floor. Oh, for the love of the Divines! My arrow had buried itself deep through Baurus’ shoulder and into his side, pinning his arm down and effectively eliminating all possibilities of him continuing the fight. He slumped to the ground as the assassin advanced on him, determined to take out one more enemy before I could loose another arrow. I grabbed for the last arrow with sweaty fingers, drew my bow as fast as I could and took aim.  
  
This time, I didn’t miss. My arrow pierced the assassin’s breast plate and lungs. He let out a gurgling rasp and slumped to the floor, blood streaming from his mouth. I hurried over to Baurus, grabbing a few arrows from my fallen foes as I went and stuffing them in my quiver, just in case more of the bastards arrived on site. “I’m so sorry, I tried to hit him but you were so close and I just couldn’t and…”  
  
Baurus shushed me. “Shut up. It’s okay, I’ve had worse. Just get the arrow out, please. Then we’ll be able to get out of here.”  
  
Get the arrow out? My eyes popped wide open. “But… Won’t that hurt?”  
  
“Ezra…” Baurus’ warning tone implied an impending rant on proper battlefield conduct, so I nodded hurriedly.  
  
”Arrow out. Sure. I can do that.” I grasped the shaft of the arrow and tugged lightly.  
  
Baurus groaned. ”You need to pull it out once and do it properly. You’ll just hurt me more with that tugging.”  
  
“Right. Swiftly.” I closed my eyes, put both hands on the arrow and pulled as hard as I could. With a strange tearing sound, the arrow came loose in my hands and clattered to the floor, orchestrated by a gasp from Baurus.  
  
“I’m so sorry! I really didn’t mean to hurt you.”  
  
“I know.” Baurus smiled a bit weakly, but I returned the gesture anyway.  
  
“Now, let’s get you to someone with proper Restoration skills. I could try healing the wound, but I’d probably end up screwing up your muscle structure or something.” I crossed over to Baurus’ other side and hoisted his arm over my shoulders. “Can you stand?”  
  
“I think so, yeah.” With a lot of heavy lifting from me, he managed to get to his feet. His knees were shaking so badly I had trouble keeping him standing.  
  
“Don’t you dare fall, Baurus, I can’t hold up all your weight.” He bravely took a stab at grinning, which I took as an encouraging sign. That most likely meant he wasn’t dying just this second. “C’mon, let’s get out of here.”  
  
“You don’t know how good that plan sounds.”  
  
“I think I do.”


	2. Chapter 2

The walk out of the ruin was a long one. I’d been warned of this. By Baurus. Repeatedly. Every few feet. And it was getting annoying. “There’s still a long way. Still. Long way.” He seemed to be a bit on the whiny side, to be honest, and I wasn’t really excited about half-dragging a whining, absurdly heavily armored man through a ruin with assassins stalking us. Fortunately, we hadn’t encountered any assassins as of yet, so I was hopeful we might get out of here alive.

 

Baurus was sweating profusely all over me. It was incredibly disgusting, but I didn’t think there was anything I could do about it. His shoulder seemed to be really paining him, so I didn’t even feel like it would have been proper to make a scathing remark. His face was white from the amount of blood he had lost as well as pain. Since I had pulled the arrow out, unpinning his arm from his side but opening up the wound, it had been gushing a steady stream of blood. We could be easily tracked by any enemies. Just follow the trail of red and the stink of blood, and you’ve got us! That was making me very, very nervous. As the type of fighter who prefers to be lethal, yet unseen, we’d be completely out of luck if caught. Baurus wasn’t in much of a condition to fight, and I wasn’t exactly an expert in face-to-face combat of any kind. Baurus groaned and slumped down further, forcing me to try to carry more of his bulk on my shoulders. I couldn’t, and we collapsed onto the dusty floor of the ruin.

 

“Great.” Being the bright, positive and cheerful soul that I am, my tone wasn’t sarcastic _at all_ , though Baurus, for some strange reason, seemed to think it was.

 

“C’mon, stop complaining. _I_ didn’t go and shoot _you_ in the shoulder.” He was kidding, but I still felt a pang of remorse. I, the ruthless Ezra, was getting all mushy and remorseful over accidentally shooting a damn Imperial Legion officer in the shoulder. I must’ve walked into a gas trap without realizing it, because this just wasn’t me.

 

“You didn’t, but neither do you have to drag me out of this ruin half-conscious and griping about how terrible life is and how we’re nowhere near the exit.” Baurus grinned. It was a weak, sarcastic grin, but still a grin. “I don’t think dragging you out of this ruin would be much of a problem for me. I could do it without breaking a sweat.”

 

“Exactly. Which is why it’s a huge problem for _me_ to drag _you_.”

 

“I think I see your point.”

 

“Really?” Nope, still not sarcastic.

 

We just sat there for a moment, quietly contemplating the inevitable task of getting up again and continuing on our way. Baurus was looking a bit grim, and I could venture a guess that my expression wasn’t very happy-go-lucky either. He turned to me, looking speculative now. “You said you know something about Restoration.” I didn’t think that was a question.

 

“I did, but honestly, I think I’d just destroy your shoulder for good. I’ve never been very good at it, and I only know a few minor spells. Even if I could get them to work properly, I still wouldn’t be able to heal you.”

 

“But you could stop the bleeding.” That wasn’t a question either. It was a demand. I shook my head, but Baurus was already removing his pauldron to let me get a better look at his wound. “I don’t need you to fix all the damage, just mend the skin.”

 

“I don’t think this is a good plan.” He ignored me, as usual. “Really, Baurus, I can’t do it.” Still no reply, only the clatter of the steel pauldron as it dropped to the floor of the cave.

 

“Give it a try. It’s not like you could do any harm, is it?”

 

“You have no idea.” Again, he ignored my muttering and proceeded to pull down the fabric of his shirt, revealing the wound.

 

It looked bad. The area around the entry point of the arrow was swollen, the edges of the wound tattered from when I had yanked the shaft out. On the other side of his arm, there was a very similar exit wound. The entry wound to his side was hidden by his cuirass, but judging by the amount of blood on the metal that was the source of most of the bleeding. I grimaced a bit. “Take off the cuirass; I can’t see the rest of the wound. I think it’s worst there.” As Baurus struggled to get his cuirass off one-handed, I tried to remember any of the basic Restoration spells I’d been taught. I could have sworn there was one I had somewhat mastered that could repair damaged skin. While quickly reviewing what I needed to do in my mind, I helped Baurus with the cuirass. We would be here all night if I continued to leave him to his pitiful efforts.

 

With the cuirass off, pulling his shirt up a bit and exposing the wound to be inspected was no problem at all. I gasped despite myself. Red, bloody and bruised, his whole side was mottled in black and blue and red hues. It looked painful. “You gasped. Is it really that bad?” Baurus was trying to lean over to look at the wound himself, but was having a bit of trouble. It looked like bending over was painful.

 

“Shut up and don’t move. It’s not that bad, it just looks… Well, it looks fine. It’s great, but stop talking. I need to concentrate if I’m going to be useful at all in this.” I think he heard that I was lying, but decided to follow my instructions in any case. For once. He shut up, leaned back and closed his eyes, as if expecting this to hurt. I would have been affronted by his assumption, except that I wasn’t sure if I would hurt him. There was the off chance that I could seal up the wounds, but more likely than not I’d end up melting his skin. I concentrated on the smallest wound first, the very first entry wound. Closing my eyes and placing my palm on swollen mound of his shoulder, I released the magic into his arm. He flinched, but didn’t make a sound. I opened my eyes. To my surprise, I had actually done something right. The skin was still inflamed and scratched, but the bleeding had stopped entirely.

 

“Huh. Would you look at that.” Baurus smiled a little. “You’re not done yet.”

 

“I know, I know.” Phew, tough crowd to please, this one! I slowly and carefully applied more magic on the other wounds, and lo and behold, I managed to stem the flow of blood.

 

“Still hurts. And I still can’t move my arm.” Why so whiny?

 

“There’s nothing I can do about that, you know.”

 

“I know. Thanks for this, though.”

 

“Anytime.”

 

“I’ll remember that the next time your aim is off.”

 

“My aim is never off!”

 

“Sure, sure.” His tone was more sarcastic than I felt was needed, but I let it slide this time. I had shot him, after all, as much as it pained me to admit it. And so Baurus was able to walk without any help from me. After this monumental relief, we chatted a bit more lightheartedly on the way out of the ruin. “We should be almost at the exit now.” Baurus seemed to know exactly where he was going. I didn’t, so I was inclined to trust him on this one.

 

 “Great, we’ll get out of here for good. I don’t know about you, but I’m not going to make this a weekly trip.”

 

Baurus laughed. “I’d like to-“ And then he just stopped talking and walking altogether. The look on his face was such that at first I thought his arm was suddenly paining him, but then I followed his gaze and spotted what he had just seen. “No. No, it’s not possible.” Baurus stood, stunned for a second into absolute stillness, before sprinting ahead as fast as he could in his wounded state, still chanting his little mantra. As if he could make what we had just come across not be real by denying it out loud.

 

The Emperor lay, sprawled across the foot of one of the pillars, right next to the door that I assumed would lead us out of the ruin. I could tell by the unnatural way his body was positioned that he would never get up again, but Baurus didn’t see that. “No. Sir, we have to get out of here. Sire? My Lord?” Uriel Septim didn’t answer.

 

I hadn’t expected him to. “Baurus, he’s gone. We can’t do anything. Baurus?”

 

Baurus finally sat back and stopped shaking the Emperor, abandoning his futile attempts to wake him. “We’ve failed. I’ve failed. The Blades are sworn to protect the Emperor, and now… this?”

 

I slowly walked over and placed a light hand on his unwounded shoulder. “Baurus…” I struggled to find the words to express what I meant to say. “I know what it’s like to feel like you do. You did the best you could. This isn’t your fault, not at all.” And oh, how I knew how he felt, though in a completely different context. “Baurus, you can’t always do what you’ve promised you would, and no one can ask you to do more than your best.” I had no idea where I was spewing this mind-bogglingly nice and sympathetic crap from. Even more surprisingly, I actually meant it.

 

 

***

 

“This might sting a bit.”

 

“I’m a trained soldier. Pain doesn’t even make me flinch – OW! What are you doing, woman?! You’re supposed to be _healing_ the wound, not gouging a deeper hole into my shoulder!”

 

The Arcane University’s Restoration specialist glanced at Baurus, amused. “There’s still a shard of the arrow shaft in there. It might sting a bit to get it out.” I bit my lip to keep from grinning at her patient’s martyred expression, though at the same time I was feeling insanely guilty. This was entirely my fault, after all. I’d felt obligated to get him to a healer as soon as we got out of the ruins, so he couldn’t run off to make the journey to the Blades headquarters with a useless arm. He hadn’t even been able to lift the Emperor’s body, and needless to say that due to my miniscule Bosmer stature I hadn’t been able to, either, so we’d concealed it in the ruin as well as we could. When Baurus got to headquarters he could send someone to get it. I’d half-dragged, half-carried him here, the Arcane University.

 

Baurus closed his eyes and turned his head away. “Get it over with, then.”

 

Five minutes and numerous flinches later, Baurus was gritting his teeth and staring at the little piece of wood that had caused him so much pain. He grudgingly nodded to the mage who had helped us out. “Thank you. Feels better now.”

 

“You’re all healed. Just rest that shoulder a bit, the muscles I knit together might still be a little sore. It’ll take a few hours for the Restoration to fully take effect. And then there’s still the matter of my payment.”

 

I stepped out from behind Baurus as he was opening his mouth to speak, presumably to promise he’d come back and pay later. “I’ll take care of that.” I had nothing to repay her with, but I wasn’t going to let Baurus pay for fixing the damage I’d done. Even my South-pointing moral compass would have admitted that that would have been wrong.

 

I was just about to explain about not having any money on me at the moment, when the healer stopped and stared at me, her eyes popping wide open in surprise. “O-oh… It’s y-you.” Umm… What? And at this point it suddenly dawned on me that I had in fact made the acquaintance of the healer before. Oh damn. This was not good. My mind was grasping at straws, trying to find some way to get out of this mess as the healer kept stuttering at me. “Y-you d-don’t have to pay, it’s alright… I d-don’t need anything. I-I… Didn’t mean any h-harm. M-my brother d-deserved what he g-got, I-I don’t blame y-you, you w-were just doing y-your j-job.” And with that, the healer jogged away, glancing back every few feet until she got to her colleague on the other side of the lawn. She then proceeded to point at me subtly and whisper to her colleague, looking quite frantic and shocked.

 

Baurus, on the other hand, looked a bit confused. “What was that about?”

 

“Err… Nothing, really. Nothing.”

 

“She said her brother deserved what he got. Who are you? What did you do to her brother?”

 

“I… I just…”

 

Baurus glanced at the mage, who was now gesturing with her hands as she explained something to her friend, before she began sobbing and walked away, her friend patting her on the back as they went. Baurus looked back at me. “Who. Are. You.” I didn’t answer. “You were in jail for a reason. I want to know what you did. Ezra, answer me.”

 

I shrank back a few feet. Baurus looked just about ready to snap my neck with his bare hands. I, on the other hand, wasn’t ready to die yet. “Dark Brotherhood,” I muttered.

 

He couldn’t hear me. “What?”

 

“Dark Brotherhood.” He froze and stared at me for a few seconds before turning on his heel and stalked off. This time, he’d probably heard what I said.

 

***

 

I cast my Invisibility spell just as the rest of the crowd turned to watch the funeral procession. All eyes were riveted on the golden platform holding the body of the deceased ruler of Tamriel as the procession wound its way through the crowd, and my sudden disappearance went completely unnoticed. Good, just as I had planned.

 

I’d already paid my respects to Uriel Septim VII. It wasn’t as if my presence at the funeral ceremony was in any way required. Still, I felt a nagging guilt as I slipped quietly through the great doors leading out of the Temple District to the Talos Plaza. He had saved me from a lifetime of rotting in prison and from being killed by his guards, yet I didn’t even have the courtesy to be present at his funeral, though I was given the chance. The normally bustling streets of the Imperial City were eerily quiet, almost ghostlike due to the slowly creeping fog blowing in from the sea.  I shivered and clutched my robes closer to my chest before hurrying along my way. My plan would be ruined if I didn’t get to the prison in time. The Invisibility spell wore off, but I let it go without taking precious time to recast. I was in no danger of being seen; all of the inhabitants of the city, along with the guards, had been rounded into the Temple District for the funeral.

 

I wove my way through the streets along the familiar path I’d memorized during the last few days of my planning. My crime had been carefully planned and was to be carefully executed. This time I wouldn’t let myself get caught. The silence of the abandoned city was broken every time I opened a door to pass through to the next district. Every time I flinched at the sudden noise.

 

Time was running out. It was taking me longer than I’d thought to navigate my way through the city: Talos Plaza, Elven Gardens, Market District… Finally, I was at the door I’d been aiming for. I cast my Invisibility spell before silently squeezing through the gap between the doors leading up to the Imperial City Prison. Even after my days of skulking around scavenging for information, I wasn’t sure if they had guards posted at the prison during the funeral. I wasn’t about to take any unnecessary risks.

 

The prison yard seemed quiet, but I kept hidden under my spell anyway. A sudden cough as I approached the door to the bastion made me freeze. A single guard, posted just outside the door to the bastion, was sitting in a heap at the foot of the nearest wall. Judging by how empty the flagon in his hand was, he would have been unlikely to notice me even if I wasn’t concealed. Hardly daring to breathe lest he hear me, I crept forwards until I reached the door. The guard was facing away from me and didn’t even bat an eye as I pushed the door open and flitted inside. Thank you for oiling the hinges on your doors, Imperial Legion!

 

The hardest part of my plan was over, and only the necessity of absolute silence kept me from sighing in relief. I dug around for my recently acquired lockpick, found it in the front pocket of my robe and advanced on the evidence chest. No one was going to keep my personal belongings, and as far as I knew they were all in there.

 

I hadn’t been prepared for a lock this difficult. Biting my lip to keep from cursing out loud, I assailed the lock. Please, please, please, open, open! Open! Instead of the satisfying click of a lockpicking job well done, though, I heard a much more unpleasant noise. “Oy, Vitruvius. Vitruvius! Get up, the funeral’s over. Everyone’s coming back now.” I froze and listened, but only heard grunting, the clanking of metal on metal and slow shuffling feet. Vitruvius didn’t seem to be in any condition to walk, and as far as I could tell his friend was helping him out. That didn’t bode well for me – the nearest beds were in the bastion. I swore silently and turned to my lockpicking, now frantic. Come on, open up, please. There was a loud metallic crash just outside the door, followed by half-incoherent swearing. Vitrivius’ difficulty moving was buying me precious seconds to finish my lockpicking, but I didn’t exactly have the time to stop to thank him.

 

Click. The lock sprung open in exact synchronization with the door. No, no, I just needed a few more seconds! I was stuffing everything from the chest into my sack with both hands when I heard a shout. “Hey!” Vitrivius was standing at the door, staring at me, open-mouthed and bleary-eyed. Damn. I grasped the last of my belongings, stuffed them in the sack and slammed the chest closed before darting to the other side of the room, casting my Invisibility as I went. Vitrivius continued to stare at the spot where I’d disappeared until his friend, another guard, followed him through the door. “All right, buddy, let’s get you to bed.”

 

“I saw… There was… A woman…” In between his hiccups, Vitrivius was motioning to the spot where I’d stood.

 

“You saw what?” His friend laughed. “There’s nothing there, drunkard, but I want whatever you’re on – we all want to see some pretty women. Let’s get you to bed; I’ll cover your shift. Lex will have your head if he finds you drunk again.” The mention of the Watch Captain seemed to snap Vitrivius out of his daze. He nodded and allowed his friend to drag him off to the beds. I exhaled the breath I’d been holding and snuck quietly to the door.

 

And almost ran into Baurus. I nearly yelped out loud in surprise, but managed to hold my tongue as I silently backed up and retreated to the corner again. Recasting my Invisibility to make sure it lasted, I crouched down and concentrated on not making any noise. My heart was pounding against my ribs so hard I could’ve sworn that Baurus and the men with him could hear it. They gave no indication of suspecting anything was amiss and continued with the conversation they seemed to have been having before entering. “Baurus, are you going to go back to Cloud Ruler Temple now?”

 

“I have to, don’t I?” Baurus sounded tired, and looked even more so. He rubbed his face with his hands before continuing. “I’ve still got a job to do.”

 

“You mean hunting down that prisoner you were telling us about?” I felt like I’d been stabbed in the chest. My breath hitched in my throat and my blood ran cold. They were talking about me. Baurus was coming after me. I had no idea why the thought made me feel so betrayed, angry, and sad.

 

Baurus grunted noncommittally. “She’s not what I’m worried about. I…” He seemed to consider something for a moment. “Leave her. Don’t tell anyone about her. She’s not a threat. We have to concentrate on the task at hand.” My eyes popped open in disbelief. The last of the men accompanying Baurus had come in now, and I forced my petrified legs to move to the door. Every second I stayed, I was risking exposure. I had a feeling Baurus wouldn’t be so lenient towards me if he found me breaking and entering the Imperial City’s Prison.

 

Outside, I finally allowed myself to breathe that sigh of relief before scurrying towards the doors leading out of the prison yard. I wanted to get as far away from this place as possible.


	3. Chapter 3

The Chestnut Handy Stables of the Imperial City just happens to be the only stable in all of Cyrodiil that doesn’t sell horses. My luck was typically not all that great, but this was just _splendid_. I didn’t want to have to resort to stealing a horse. That would attract unwanted attention. On the other hand, the prospect of walking all the way to Cheydinhal didn’t appeal to me either.

 

The bench I’d sat down on a few minutes ago creaked as another person sat down beside me. I looked up to see the friendly face of the woman I recognized as one of the workers at the Chestnut Handy. “Hello.” She greeted me and smiled.

 

Usually, I would have found someone seeking a conversation with me very creepy, but she seemed nice enough. “Hi.” I managed a bit of a grin.

 

“You need a horse, don’t you?” She must have seen me looking over the animals in the paddock speculatively earlier, when I was still contemplating which one to steal.

 

“Yeah. What’s it to you?” I’d never been taught proper etiquette, but the woman didn’t seem fazed by my lack of manners.

 

“I can sell you one.”

 

I couldn’t believe my ears, or my luck. “That’s… Great. I really need a horse, and I have quite enough money to pay for it, too.”

 

The woman smiled and pointed to the paddock. “The white one over there is for sale. A wiser creature I’ve yet to meet. She’s a very good horse. Reasonably priced, too.”

 

“How much?” I glanced over at the white mare, which at least looked fine enough. I wasn’t a good judge of horses in any case, having only learned to ride out of necessity a few years ago.

 

“Three thousand gold. A better price you’ll not get anywhere else, ma’am, if you do pardon my saying so.”

 

I turned my gaze back to the woman and nodded. “I can pay that. The horse looks well enough.”

 

“Excellent.” She beamed at me as I dug around in my sack, pulling out a small, leather coin bag. I’d acquired it from the pocket of a nobleman I’d run into earlier. He wouldn’t miss it, and I needed it more than he did. A completely necessary and justified crime, if you ask me. “Here.” After I’d counted out the appropriate pay, I went to inspect my new horse.

 

The mare looked me over before tentatively reaching her muzzle out to me. I pressed my palm up to it and the horse snorted quietly. Not vicious, which was always a good thing. The animal was fully saddled, and all I had to do was fasten my belongings to the saddle bags before mounting. “Thank you,” I called to the woman as she smiled up at me.

 

“Thank you,” she replied. “Oh, and I forgot. Her name is Moondust.”

 

Moondust? My horse was named _Moondust_? Oh, for the love of… I cut off my mental torrent of curses and forced a smile in the general direction of the saleswoman. “Oh. Okay.” For obvious reasons, I felt a need to mentally slap myself. Ezra, fearsome assassin, atop her beautiful white mare Moondust! I snorted quietly to myself before digging my heels into the horse’s sides. She responded by moving forward eagerly, and I accustomed myself to the feel of her gait. After all, it was a long way to Cheydinhal.

 

***

 

Moondust safely stowed away at the local stables, I made my way to the all too familiar well entrance to the lair of the Dark Brotherhood. _My_ lair. When had I started thinking about the Dark Brotherhood in third person? It had always been “my brethren” or something of the kind before. The Imperial Prison can do weird things to a person. I checked over my shoulder to make sure no guards were in sight before sliding aside the wooden panels blocking the well entrance and slipped inside, securely placing my feet on the small rope ladder underneath.

 

The cool, musty air rushed up to meet me as I hopped down from the second-to-last rung of the ladder. “Hey, who’s there?” A deep voice called from further into the main hall of the guild hall, and I grinned as I recognized the speaker. He spotted me as soon as I stepped out to greet him. “Ezra!”

 

“Gogron!” I managed to squeak his name before the excited orc had already hurtled across the room and swung me up in his arms. “Can’t… breathe… let me… down…”

 

“Oh, sorry.” Despite his words, Gogron didn’t look apologetic in the least.

 

I raised my eyebrows, but smiled at him anyway. “It’s great to see you.”

 

“You too! We thought you’d been locked away for good when you didn’t show up after… Well, after you didn’t come back. How’d you bust out?” Gogron looked me up and down, as if gauging my ability to break out of a prison using brute force.

 

I answered his unspoken question with a laugh. “No, I didn’t. I had an unexpected stroke of luck.”

 

“How’d that –“

 

A light cough interrupted our reunion. “Ezra. Good to see you.”

 

“Telaendril. I wish I could say the same.” The other Bosmer woman who had appeared behind Gogron gave me an icy smile to accompany her earlier curt words.

 

“I guess your time in the prison didn’t teach you proper manners.”

 

“And your time bedding Gogron didn’t teach you not to mess with people more skilled than yourself. I guess we’re even.” Gogron spluttered and burst out laughing.

 

Telaendril wasn’t as amused; her eyes narrowed into slits. “Don’t think you’re fooling anybody, Ezra. You used to be Ocheeva’s favorite, but I think you might find that things have changed while you were away.” She danced off, a nasty smile on her face and looking way too pleased with herself. If Telaendril was happy, it didn’t bode well for me.

 

“She isn’t too glad I’m back, is she?” I asked Gogron in a quiet voice.

 

“Did you honestly expect she would be? She’s the type to hold a grudge, and she’s holding what happened between us against you. Or what she thinks happened between us.” He sighed, apologetic.

 

I groaned. “I should probably go tell Ocheeva I’m back again, but would you be a dear and please tell Telaendril that you and I are just friends? This constant hostility thing is really getting to me.” Gogron rolled his eyes and waved me off. As if Telaendril and I were ever going to get along, no matter who said what. As if he really believed that I didn’t enjoy having someone to swap wittily insulting repertoires with.

 

***

 

After the last words of the tale of my escape had dropped from my lips, Ocheeva chortled. “Good. This is excellent. You have the inside track. I couldn’t have asked for a better setup.”

 

I leaned forward in my chair, intrigued. “Inside track? Who’s the target?”

 

Ocheeva laughed drily. “As of yet, I have no idea. This is a very unusual assignment from a very demanding client. They require that we exercise a bit more…” Ocheeva paused, searching for the right word, “… finesse. This time, the assassination itself isn’t all that’s needed. We need someone capable of subterfuge. Infiltration, if you will. I was going to give this contract to Telaendril, but now… It’s great to have you back, Ezra.”

 

Snatching up a contract from right in front of Telaendril’s nose on my first day back? I grinned. With the added bonus of annoying the Oblivion out of Telaendril, I was game for just about anything. “I’m in. What’s the job?”

 

“We’ve been given a contract to infiltrate the Blades. We hear a captain’s position has opened up very recently, and someone wants to stop a certain candidate from getting it. The possible successors of the late Captain haven’t even been mentioned yet, but our client wants the assassin to be the first to know when candidates are named, so that they can act quickly. This requires us to be present at the Blades headquarters, Cloud Ruler Temple. You’re already familiar with the Blades, yes?”

 

My mind was reeling. The Blades? That would mean seeing Baurus again. I couldn’t kill one of Baurus’ comrades! I shook my head automatically, and Ocheeva raised her eyebrows with a snort. “Ezra, you realize that this is your only way back in, don’t you? We don’t tolerate failure. You exposed yourself during a contract and put the whole Brotherhood in danger because of it. You won’t get another chance to redeem yourself. A member of the Brotherhood that can be recognized by someone on the street is a danger to us all.”

 

I hesitated. Baurus… He’d be there. I didn’t want to see him, let alone kill someone affiliated with him. What had caused me to suddenly turn goody-goody and even think about turning down a contract, I don’t know, but I shunned these thoughts immediately. “I’ll do it,” I blurted out quickly, before I could somehow change my mind about the whole thing.

 

“Excellent,” Ocheeva hissed, pleased by my assent. “We’ll show those Blades bastards they’re not safe even within their own walls.”

 

I grinned in reply, trying to mimic her enthusiasm. I wasn’t very excited, to be honest. This felt like a doomed attempt, especially considering that… Damn, I’d forgotten to mention it to Ocheeva! “Wait, Ocheeva, Baurus knows about me! He knows I’m a member of the Dark Brotherhood. He won’t let me in.”

 

Ocheeva frowned, the excitement in her eyes dimming noticeably. “Oh. That puts a bit of a damper on things.” Her forehead creased thoughtfully, then smoothed out as she came up with a plan. “You quit the Dark Brotherhood and had no other place to go. The Wrath of Sithis is after you, and you’re afraid for your life. You’re feminine, small and innocent-looking. He’ll offer to help, and that’s where you get your break. He’s an idiot, after all. They all are.”

 

I opened my mouth to argue – Baurus wasn’t an idiot! – but shut it again. If I wanted to stay, I’d have to learn to get over these sentimental feelings. I was already a failure as an assassin. I couldn’t afford to bring any further disappointment to my family. “They are, yeah,” I affirmed, grinning. The expression was a bit forced, but Ocheeva seemed to buy it. Maybe my acting skills weren’t all that horrible, after all. That was good; I’d need them for this contract.

 

***

 

“Ezra! Are you leaving already?”

 

I was just getting ready to climb back up the rope ladder when Gogron caught up with me. “Yeah, I got a new contract. Maybe, if I’m lucky, this time I’ll be back afterwards.”

 

Gogron rolled his eyes at my self-criticism. “Everyone has bad luck sometimes. Stop beating yourself up about it, you’re still the best at what we do.” I grinned, earning an answering smile from Gogron as he continued. “What contract? You mean the one Telaendril was set up for, the Blades infiltration? She’s not going to be very happy about that, you know.”

 

“I know. That just makes it so much more appealing.”

 

“You women and your silly problems… There’s enough of me to go around, no need to fight.”

 

I slapped his shoulder lightly, laughing, before hopping up on the ladder. “I’ll see you around, Gogron. Tell Telaendril I send her all my love.”

 

“Do you want her to hate me as well? I don’t want to take the blame for your insolence, so don’t expect her to receive the message.” He laughed before waving me off. “Try to come back this time, all right? It’d be a shame losing you again so soon.”

 

Knowing that was the best the orc could do in the way of expressing positive feelings towards anyone, I smiled, touched. “I’ve missed you, Gogron,” I told him before climbing up the ladder and out of the well. It was well past nightfall by now, and all of Cheydinhal was sleeping, with the exception of the few guards on duty. I made my way past the dark houses and out the gates, giving the guards posted there a cursory nod in answer to their greetings of “Good evening, ma’am”.

 

Outside of the city walls, the Black Waterside Stables was lit up by torches. Travellers often forget trivial things like the time of day, so it wasn’t unusual for someone to set out from the city in the middle of the night. There was a stable hand positioned at the paddock gate, ready to saddle a client’s horse for them at short notice. I pointed out Moondust and received the fully-saddled horse’s reins in my hand only a few short minutes later. The mare blew air in my face, acknowledging that she knew me. I grinned, surprisingly not annoyed by the beast of burden that had just messed up my hair. I even gave Moondust an extra pat on the withers before mounting.

 

Sighing, I rolled my shoulders. A good night’s sleep would have been great, but that’d have to wait. There would be inns on the road to sleep in, and this way I could make some progress in my travels before the night was out. I clucked to Moondust, and we were off. The mare chose to stick to a leisurely pace. I didn’t rush her. Tired as I was, I’d have an easier time staying on if she didn’t hurry.

 

***

 

The snow crunched under Moondust’s hooves, reminding me that we weren’t in sunny Southern Cyrodiil anymore - as if the freezing wind wasn’t doing so already. Shivering, I pulled up the hood on my black cloak and rearranged the fabric so that it fell over Moondust’s hindquarters instead of bunching up behind the saddle. I needed my horse alive and kicking to get where I wanted to go, and at this rate we’d both be icicles on the mountainside in no time. One cloak shared between horse and rider didn’t really help much, but it was the best I could do.

 

I was just about ready to swear off the whole expedition and hightail it for the nearest inn before making my way back down from the mountains when Moondust suddenly stopped and whinnied. The noise echoed off the mountainsides all around us, and I winced slightly. How could the horse of an assassin be so _loud_? I prodded Moondust’s sides with my heels, anxious to be on the move again, but the horse refused to budge. I lifted my gaze and saw an oasis of hope spring up in front of me - a figurative oasis, that is. These abysmal mountains were far from a desert.

 

The sight of the colossal building in front of me flooded me with relief, even though it was no water hole in the middle of the desert. It was a destination at the end of a wintry journey. Moondust whinnied again, this time to be answered by more than just an echo. She had smelled the horses within Cloud Ruler Temple before her rider had even lifted her gaze enough to see the building. I patted Moondust, grinning slightly, and clucked my tongue. This time the mare moved forward willingly.

 

As we approached, we were hailed by a guard from atop the temple’s wall. “You! What is your business here?”

 

Apparently the Blades are all about proper manners and etiquette. I answered with more formality than necessary, glaring at the rude man as I snapped, “I seek a meeting with a friend, who I’ve been told is currently residing here. Baurus.” On my ride over, I had figured that the only way to infiltrate the Blades was to pull some strings with Baurus. I hoped and prayed he didn’t hate me too much, or this would never work. The guard on the wall disappeared from view, and my stomach dropped. He was off to talk to Baurus, no doubt, to verify my story.

 

Excruciating minutes passed. Moondust began to get restless, picking up on my unease. It shouldn’t take this long for the guard to talk to Baurus, should it? A few more prances (courtesy of Moondust) and a few more awkward coughs and face-rubs (courtesy of myself) later, the giant gates of Cloud Ruler Temple groaned. Moondust, already agitated, skittered back as the hinges squeaked under the stress of the heavy oaken doors. It took all my horsemanship skills to get the mare through the gate. It was my lucky day, and I managed to not only enter Cloud Ruler Temple’s courtyard, but to also guide my mare up the stairs to the upper part of the complex.

 

The fortress was enormous, that much was obvious. Two Blades were sparring on a small lawn sunk into the stone of the courtyard. The men stopped their training session long enough to give me a brief smile and wave, which I returned hesitantly. Cloud Ruler Temple wasn’t ostentatious or lavishly decorated, but it nevertheless gave the outward appearance of sheer power. All in all, it was an intimidating building.

 

The guard who had hailed me at the gates appeared by my side. “Baurus is expecting you. He said he’d meet you in the main hall. I can take your horse for you, we’ll stable it there.” He pointed to a small building on my left, which I assumed to be the stables. I thanked the man and dismounted, patting Moondust before shuffling off toward the double doors I figured led inside the main building.

 

For once, my gut instinct was right. The main hall of Cloud Ruler Temple was a surprisingly comfortable Nordic style room with a fireplace and numerous tables. Books and scrolls sprawled across the tabletops and a fire blazed happily in the fireplace.

 

I must have been too cold for my ears to work properly, as I didn’t hear Baurus come up behind me before he spoke. “Ezra, what do you want?” I swallowed audibly in reply. He wasn’t too thrilled to see me.

 

“I need your help.” Improvising wildly, I turned around and put on my best sad face. “I wouldn’t ask, you’re already done so much for me, but I have no one else to turn to. They’re after me.” This part of my plan wasn’t as well thought-out as the rest of it had been. I had no idea what ruse I’d use to explain to Baurus that I was no longer a part of the Dark Brotherhood. I closed my eyes briefly, for dramatic effect as well as to try and clear my head. _Think, Ezra, think!_ “I killed the matron of my sanctuary. I tried to quit. I don’t want to be an evil person. They wouldn’t let me quit.”

 

Baurus’ expression flickered between disbelieving and curious. “And you’re thinking we’d help you?”

 

“Yes. No. I have nowhere else to go. The Brotherhood has been my whole life. Outside it, I have nothing.” I bit my lip and looked down. Damn, I was good. But was I good enough to convince a Blade with years and years of training in interrogation?

 

“Fine.”

 

“What?” I looked back up, surprised into dropping my role for a second.

 

“You can stay here. The Blades can protect you from the Dark Brotherhood, not that I think they’d be stupid enough to try and attack you within these walls.” Baurus rolled his eyes. “Don’t think for a second that we’re letting you out of our sight during the time you’re here. I’m giving you one chance and one chance only. If you try anything, I swear by Talos that I’ll kill you. Do I make myself clear?”

 

“Crystal clear.” I swallowed. I was going to get myself killed. This would never work. I’d be caught before the captaincy candidates were even named. Baurus had turned away and was starting to stalk off before I caught him by the arm. “Baurus… Thank you.” I had to seem genuine, even though I wasn’t.

 

“Err…” I had thrown Baurus off. “It’s… surprisingly good to see you again, Ezra. I never thought I would.” And with that, Baurus was gone. I groaned mentally. This was insane. I should have spent my time in the prison doing something useful, like training, instead of just moping around.

 

Time to pen my first report to Ocheeva and tell her of my success. I smiled weakly. At least I had good news to report - for now.

 

***

 

 _No change._ I scrawled those two words on the parchment in front of me and put down my quill with a sigh. It had been a long day. Baurus had asked me to help him test out a bunch of new bows they’d received today. As a thank you for my hard work, all I got was extremely sore arms. Flexing bows built for Imperial men about twice my size wasn’t easy work. I rolled my shoulders and glanced at the parchment again, unable to think of anything else to write. With a shrug, I rolled it up and tied a string around it. Ocheeva didn’t need any more details, and I wouldn’t have had anything to report anyway.

 

The past few weeks at Cloud Ruler Temple had been uneventful. I’d heard whispers among the soldiers about the upcoming announcement of the captaincy candidates, but everyone was very quiet about the particulars regarding said announcement. Nobody seemed to know when it was going to happen. I was getting impatient, but I was determined to do this job well, which meant not asking any extra questions. The Dark Brotherhood quitter/refugee I was pretending to be wouldn’t care about the name of the next Blades captain.

 

I sat up in my bed and blew out the candle on my bedside table. It was quiet, except for the occasional snores of the men in the next room. Being the only female on the premises, I had a room to myself. There were usually two other woman here, Blades named Jena and Caroline, but they were both out on patrol for the next few weeks. This made my nightly trips to the rooftop easier. Normally, I’d have to sneak past both of them on my way out. Caroline in particular was a very light sleeper. So far, I’d managed not to get caught, but who knew how long my luck would last? It hadn’t held up well in the past, and I wasn’t counting on it to have my back.

 

As quietly as I could, I crept past the men’s sleeping quarters and into the main hallway. One of the guards posted at the main doors looked up, and I hopped back into the shadows. It wouldn’t do for anyone to see me creeping around in the middle of the night. I wasn’t supposed to arouse any suspicion. I stood still for a moment, and when I was sure the guard had resumed staring at the wall across from him, I moved on. Flitting across the corridor and to the big window in the back of the building was no problem. The window opened soundlessly. Thank you, diligent guards, for oiling your windows!

 

The frosty night air bit my face as soon as I got outside. Ugh. It was snowing. I’d never been a friend of the cold or wet, and snow was the epitome of horrible to me. Oh well, as soon as I got this parchment on its way I could return to my warm bed. A flick of my wrist and some finger-twirling was all it took to call the imp to my side. He seemed to be in a bad mood and chattered angrily for a moment before accepting the parchment from me. “Take it down there. There’s a black wolf summon there waiting for you.” The imp made a rude noise in reply before setting off – no doubt informing me that he had made this run every night since I’d come to Cloud Ruler Temple and was aware of the drill by now. Imps had always been my least favorite summons, but I needed something capable of flying. It was either an imp or a cliff racer, and nobody likes cliff racers. Ocheeva’s wolf summon would rather kill it than accept a letter from it.

 

I used a powerful Detect Life spell to observe the interaction between summons. The wolf was already in place, sitting in the designated meeting place. My Imp fluttered its way over, and the two glistening pink spots met. One of the spots winked out of existence as my Imp disappeared, and I knew the letter had been safely passed from claw to paw when the larger pink dot sprinted off down the mountain. Excellent.

 

“Ezra?” Ouch. Not so excellent. I spun around. A larger pink blob was approaching me, one I could distinguish as Baurus due to his voice. I severed the Life Detection to better see his facial features. The pink glimmer faded and revealed his slightly dumbstruck expression. “What are you doing out here at this hour?”

 

Uhm. Good question, Baurus! “I couldn’t sleep.” Well, that was true. “I came out here for some fresh air.” That wasn’t very true. I disliked fresh air if it had snow in it.

 

“Oh.” Baurus came to stand at the rail by my side and looked down. He didn’t seem suspicious, which surprised me. Maybe late night walks were a normal occurrence among the Blades. “I can’t sleep either, so I decided to relieve Ferrum. He’s been a bit sick lately, and it’ll be good for him to take a night off.”

 

“Oh.” We were awkwardly quiet for a moment. I hoped Ferrum’s condition wasn’t serious. He was a nice man, easy to get along with and liked by just about everyone. I would be genuinely sorry if he was my target in this mission. I cursed myself for having these thoughts. As an assassin, I couldn’t get attached to possible targets. It was counterproductive.

 

Baurus turned towards me, looking down into my eyes. My breath hitched, and I subconsciously leaned closer to him, maintaining eye contact. Suddenly, Baurus cleared his throat. “Well… I should probably get back to my rounds.” He leaned back, as did I - we both seemed to have snapped out of whatever had been going on a few short moments ago. “The mountain scenery is much prettier when it isn’t snowing. I think you should come up here when it’s clear skies someday.” I lifted my eyebrows and blinked disbelievingly, making Baurus grin. “Maybe not. Pretty scenery might not be your thing.”

 

I laughed. “Nope, not really. But thanks. I could use this spot for target practice. You probably see a lot of bears and wolves from up here.”

 

Baurus shook his head and chuckled. “I have to get back to my rounds. I’ll see you later, right?” It seemed to be a rhetorical question, as he stalked off without waiting for an answer. I shrugged to myself. Strange behaviour among the Blades was more the rule than the exception, so I was determined not to worry about it. I would also not worry about the faint warmth that I had felt creeping up my cheeks earlier. _Especially_ not that.


	4. Chapter 4

Baragon looked up when I walked in through the double doors. “Hey, Ezra!” The Blade put down the book he’d been reading and stood up to bow to me.

“Slacking off again, are we?” I clapped him on the shoulder. Baragon was infamous for his habit of missing his rounds and not doing his work properly, because he was always so absorbed in whatever he was reading to notice the time passing.

“I’m not slacking off, I’m studying!” Baragon sat down and picked up his book again.

I tilted my head to see the title on the cover. “Kagouti Mating Habits? When are you ever, ever going to need this information? There aren’t even any kagouti in Cyrodiil.”

“This book is incredibly rare. I don’t know if I’ll ever get a chance to read it again, so I have to study it now, when I still have the chance.” Baragon grinned. “You never know, this information might save my life one day! Now that I read this book, I know not to venture into kagouti territory during mating season.”

I shook my head. “Right. And when is said mating season? Just so I know to steer clear, in case kagouti ever invade Cyrodiil.”

“Well, the book doesn’t say, but I believe -…”

“Baragon! Ezra!” My engaging nature lecture was interrupted by Ferrum, who came sprinting into the Great Hall. “The captaincy candidates have been announced!”

My stomach dropped. I’d been here for a few months; I’d come to know and like these people. The upcoming kill wouldn’t be a pleasure, but I was determined to see this mission through. I’d be cast out if I didn’t, and left a refugee from my own family.

Baragon raced after Ferrum, who had disappeared down the hall. No doubt the person privy to the names of the candidates was there, ready to announce them. All the Blades would be in attendance, because each one was hoping to receive the promotion. I sighed and started reluctantly after Ferrum and Baragon.

“Baurus, Achille and Caroline.” I’d arrived on scene just in time to hear the resident captain Steffan read out the names from the official-looking parchment he was holding. My world seemed to freeze in place, and the earlier dropping sensation in my stomach turned upside down and almost made me spew all over the corridor. Baurus? Right. Great. Splendid. Everyone gathered around the three candidates, clapping them on the back and congratulating them. Yeah. Congratulations, guys. You’ve just been marked for assassination.

 

***

I sat on the highest wall of the Temple, dangling my feet over the edge. I was waiting for an imp. The imp was late. My already high annoyance levels were skyrocketing. Baurus couldn’t be my target. I had to do this assignment. There was no room for failure anymore, but I didn’t know if I could bring myself to kill my one friend. The chattering bugger of an imp showed up a minute later. I was still so immersed in these thoughts it took me a minute to notice the piece of parchment being rammed into my temple by a very annoyed flapping creature. I grabbed it, and the imp disappeared with a pop and a rude noise that sounded very much like a vulgar curse word.

I stared at the parchment in my hand, almost unable to bring myself to open the seal. I closed my eyes and ripped the red wax in two. The scroll snapped open. I opened my eyes to see the one word on it.

Baurus.

At this point, I wasn’t even surprised.

 

***

Sentimentality off, assassination on. This was my strategy. If I could handle this as just another job, I’d be fine and it’d all work out. Sure, I’d be sad about it later, but the most important thing was to get the job done. I couldn’t let any feelings I might have get in the way of that. So I observed. Baurus woke up at 6.30 every morning, ate breakfast with everyone else, and then trained in the training rooms until 12. Then he went out on his rounds and spent eight hours patrolling. After that, he had free time until he went to sleep. Sometimes, he’d relieve Ferrum, who was still sick, of his night rounds.

The only time the armor came off was when he slept or if he decided to clean it. I spent time studying the Blades armor and had to admit that it was good. The only weak spots were the armpits when the hand was raised and the exposed area between the cuirass and the helmet, which were both notoriously hard spots to get a good shot into. On the pretext of honing my skills, I was able to get Ferrum to loan me his armor and let me dress one of the practice mannequins in it. Ironically, the Blades found my show of marksmanship excellent entertainment, and usually gathered around me in the evenings as I fired shot after shot upon the mannequin, trying to find a sure place to strike: a place that would bring a man down before he had a chance to cry out. After I’d completed this mission, they’d know what I had actually been training for. I tried not to imagine how they’d feel – that would have been sentimentality, and sentimentality was off the table.

When I was able to place nine out of ten shots perfectly, I stopped training. The Blades were impressed with how deep the arrows sunk into the mannequin, and someone said that he thought I’d probably have killed the mannequin every time if it had been alive. I smiled grimly as I worked to cut the arrow shafts out of the wooden dummy; the arrow heads had sunk too deep to be retrievable.

I tried not to think about who the dummy was representing.

 

***

My time to strike came just a few days after I had come up with a plan. Ferrum was sick, once again. I was becoming increasingly worried about his health, but tried to convince myself that it wasn’t my business. After tonight, I’d be out of here for good, with no intention (and no possibility) of ever coming back.

And so it was that after midnight I grabbed my gear and found my way to the same place from which I’d always sent off my little imp friend. Baurus frequented this place during his midnight walks as well, and it was a long way from all other patrol routes. I’d picked the best possible place under the circumstances. This was by no means an easy job.

Assortments of insects were ramming their bodies into the walls of my stomach, and it took all my strength to keep myself from dry heaving as I crouched in the shadows on the roof, waiting for Baurus. I hadn’t eaten anything today. The thought of what I was about to do had kept me feeling physically sick, and I’d been sent to bed by a concerned-looking Baurus at around noon. He had been sincerely worried about my health. I felt even sicker. He should have been more worried about himself.

I heard approaching steps and held my breath. If he saw me now, the whole plan would be forfeit. I’d have to try again another night, and I might never get as good a chance as this again. The night was deadly still, without even the slightest breeze to knock my arrow off course. I knew I could pull it off, if given the chance. I saw Baurus round the corner and nocked an arrow. He stopped for a second, listening, but I wasn’t alarmed; Baurus often stopped to listen during his nightly rounds. He had impeccable hearing and could hear danger approaching more reliably than he could see it. This was my shot. He was facing me with his face tilted slightly upwards, exposing the vulnerable skin between his cuirass and the neck guards of his helmet. With the practiced air of a professional at work, I took aim and loosed my arrow.

One arrow was all it took. Baurus slumped to the ground almost silently. Nothing more than a mangled gurgle escaped his punctured throat. No one would hear, and no one would look for him until morning.

The tears streaming down my face took me by surprise. My mind was numb, and I couldn’t feel the pain of what I had just done yet, but my body reacted to it. I hopped down from my perch and stumbled over to the body of my friend with shaking knees. The body of my friend, dead by my own hand. As I stood over him, I noticed his chest still rising and falling. I slumped down to my knees as Baurus turned his head towards me, his eyes full of panic and – above all - confusion. “Ezra…? Why?” I wanted to say something, but speech escaped me. I acted in the only way I knew how in a situation such as this.

The blade of the dagger I drove into his chest tore into his flesh all too easily. Baurus lay still. By this time, I was sobbing quietly. The nearly automated actions of a swift, clean, quiet kill were done; I had finished the job. My mind was beginning to get back on track. “I’m so sorry,” I managed to choke out through my tears, though Baurus couldn’t hear me anymore. I couldn’t fix this with apologies.

The noise I heard around the corner had me bolting upright and glancing around. Someone was coming this way. The heavy clanking of armoured footsteps grew closer, and I panicked. Vaulting over the Temple wall just in time to escape being seen, I broke the long fall by rolling into the thick underbrush. Crash landing like this hurt, but the scrawny bushes saved me from the worst of the damage.

“Baurus?! BAURUS! Help, somebody help!” Ferrum, apparently well enough to do his rounds after all, was yelling on the wall, and I took that as my cue to escape. I sprinted off into the trees, tears still streaming down my cheeks, and tried to find cover. As soon as they realized I was missing, they’d be able to piece the puzzle together. The whole of Cloud Ruler Temple would be after me. I’d have to be far away by then, or I’d have done it all for nothing.

I whistled quietly, and Moondust came crashing through some nearby underbrush. I’d let her loose earlier today in preparation for a quick escape such as this. A good assassin is always prepared. I was a good assassin.

 

***

Inane as it was in my current situation, I was glad to have that beastly mountain climate far away from me. Moondust had picked up on my stress during our ride back to Cheydinhal, and had been exceptionally well-behaved. The mare was truly a lifesaver sometimes. I hadn’t the mental capacity to deal with fidgety animals right now; it was just starting to sink in that I had really killed Baurus. I was conflicted – on one hand, I had killed my one and only friend outside of the Brotherhood; on the other, I was welcome back home now. My freshly developed conscience was nagging at me, though. It was an unfamiliar feeling.

I shook my head, feeling like a cynical idiot. I had gotten what I had wanted in the first place, and it was stupid of me to feel bad because of it. I’d only been doing my job, after all. Incompetence caused doubt in one’s work, that’s what they had always told me. I wasn’t incompetent, was I? Barring my small hiccup with the healer woman in the Imperial City and her brother, and my amount of time as a jailbird, my record was flawless. I was efficient, swift and merciless. I was _the_ Ezra. All the members of the Brotherhood knew my name and respected me for what I was. The job I had just completed would only cause them to place me on an even higher pedestal.

As we rounded the last bend and the city walls of Cheydinhal came into sight, I spotted Telaendril keeping watch by the gates; no doubt Ocheeva had sent her to look out for me. I urged Moondust to pick up the pace, and approached the Black Waterside Stables at a trot. I was finally spotted by Telaendril as I was leaving the mare in the hands of a competent young stable hand. “Ezra!” She called out to me. I sighed. Only Telaendril could inject such venom into just a single word. She approached me with a look on her face that suggested she’d rather be just about anywhere else.

“Hey, Telaendril. What’re you doing out here?”

“We can’t be spotted talking,” she hissed in reply. As if I didn’t know that. “You need to go report to Ocheeva right now. You’ve been gone for such a long time she’s worried the contract’s been compromised.” She smiled.

“You aren’t supposed to talk to me in public, remember?” I narrowed my eyes. Whenever Telaendril smiled, it made me uneasy. “I’m going, I’m going. Now shoo, don’t bother me anymore. I’m not in the mood.” Usually a nice quarrel with Telaendril would have been just the thing I needed to feel like I was home again, but not now.

The sanctuary was just as it had been when I’d left. It almost felt like my whole ordeal had just been a bad dream, and I’d never so much as seen the inside of the Imperial City Prison. It was true, in a way; I was free to return to my old life. Everything would be just the way it had always been.

Ocheeva heard me descend the ladder down into the sanctuary and was beside me in a heartbeat. “You did it?” Her eagerness had her panting a little as she demanded an answer to her question.

“I did it.” I wasn’t nearly as enthusiastic, but tried to seem happy about the completion of my task.

The smile that spread across Ocheeva’s face mirrored that of Telaendril’s. “Excellent. That means there’s only one thing left to do.”

I had never reacted so quickly in my life. Almost purely on instinct, I feinted to the left – just as Ocheeva’s shortsword pierced the air where my torso had been just a second before. I hadn’t even seen her draw her weapon. “Ocheeva, what…?” I thought I already knew the answer to the question I was about to ask and drew back, fumbling for my dagger with both hands.

“You’re a liability to the security of this sanctuary and the whole Brotherhood. We can’t have that, now can we?” Ocheeva shrugged. “You’re a gifted killer, but we don’t have any use for you anymore, and you’re not irreplaceable.”

“Telaendril.” I smiled grimly as I stated the obvious. So this was what it was to come down to? No wonder Telaendril had looked so smug.

Ocheeva didn’t even bother to reply. She was looking me up and down, judging where to strike. I knew that look – the speculative glance that preceded a kill. I gripped my dagger, hand trembling. I’d never been proficient at close-quarters combat, but I wasn’t going to go down without a fight. Ocheeva’s sword was suddenly there, by my left shoulder. I sidestepped, trying to reach her with my own short blade. She was too far away, the reach of her weapon superior to mine. Another attack came, followed by another, another and another. Ocheeva was a skilled swordfighter, and it was all I could do to keep on my feet and keep moving to avoid her deadly blows.

She growled softly in the back of her throat, her breath coming out in short gasps. She was tiring; I was more agile than she’d thought I’d be. It was my time to make a move. With a small cry, I plunged my blade at her throat, just as she swung her sword at my hip. The feel of steel biting into my flesh made me gasp, but I didn’t let go of the dagger. It met its target, and the sword that had been lodged into my hip clattered to the ground. Once again, I stained the ground with the blood of a friend. Ocheeva slumped to the ground, gurgling and rasping softly. She wouldn’t make it. My aim was good.

I moved for the ladder of the sanctuary, but stopped short before I’d even taken a full step. My left hip was split open where Ocheeva’s blade had bitten through my thin armor, and the blood from the wound was already beginning to seep through the broken leather. I cursed and bit my lip. I knew I had to get out of here. If anyone had heard the sounds of battle, they’d be coming to check as soon as possible, and if they found me here with the blood of the dead matron on my dagger… I’d not survive another minute.

Hauling myself up the ladder with only one operable leg was difficult, but I managed by sheer willpower. I cursed again as I dropped to the ground outside the well entrance, panting and gasping. Telaendril was out here, somewhere, patrolling the city like she always did. I’d have to get away from here before she spotted me and knew the plan had failed. Ocheeva obviously hadn’t been planning on me putting up a fight. I forced myself to my feet, grabbing the well’s stone edge to keep myself from falling down again. As soon as my head stopped spinning, I took a tentative step. I could walk, albeit painfully, so I made for the shadows behind the nearest house. Resting every once in a while, I made my way slowly to the city gates, keeping behind houses to avoid the public eye. The guards look surprised to see me appear from someone’s back yard, but I walked by them as nonchalantly as I could, and they didn’t seem to want to press the issue. As soon as I’d gotten out of the city gates, I sprinted for Moondust as quickly as my wounded state would allow. The mare snorted and flared her nostrils at the smell of my blood, but let me mount her without shying away nonetheless. I thanked all the gods I could think of that the stable hand hadn’t unsaddled her yet. As far as I knew, Telaendril could still be out here somewhere. I couldn’t be seen.

As soon as I had swung up into the saddle, I let myself collapse. I pointed Moondust at the road, and the mare seemed to sense I needed her to take control for now. She set off in the general direction of the Imperial City at a slow enough canter that her helpless rider wouldn’t fall to the ground.


End file.
